


Waters of Red and Blue

by KnifeBinaryPrince



Series: Lavender Waters and Violet Beaches [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura and Lance are Siblings, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Angst, Blood, Blood and Injury, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Angst, M/M, Merpeople, POC Pidge (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-10-17 09:14:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10590951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnifeBinaryPrince/pseuds/KnifeBinaryPrince
Summary: An injury of the human affliction.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had this and a bunch of other fics unfinished in my folders so I'll be posting as much as I can.

Currents rushed through the salty, ocean waters, bringing forth a rush of warmth that gently rounded over Keith's bright red scales. His gills fluttered as he swam close to the bottom of the sandy shallows, picking at small fish to nibble on along the way as he searched for something more fulfilling for his current appetite.

Fins fluttered slightly as a wave rolled through over head, causing his hair to float against his scale covered cheeks, which in turn caused strands to get get caught on irregular or folded scales that would pop up every now and then.

Gills fluttered as he took in the colorful array of scents that barraged him, trilling happily as he caught sight of a certain species he knew would be easy enough to catch and large enough to sate him.

Keith laid his fins down flat against his tail, moving smoothly through the water as violet eyes flitted from place to place, creeping closer to his unsuspecting prey. With a snap of his fins and a quick beat of his tail he was able to swim through the water quick enough to catch the large fish. Sharpened claws sunk into soft flesh as the creature struggled, an action performed in vain as the harsh movements only sunk the claws in further.

With a quick bite on its ribs the fish was dead, allowing the Mer to carry in his mouth towards the surface with no trouble. He found a quiet, flat place on the rocks near the beach to eat his catch, lugging his heavy tail over on the sunny rock with little difficulty.

With a hungry belly and the thought of finally eating something worthwhile he dug in, ripping chunks of soft white flesh from bone. Not noticing the trail of fishing line that led to the bite he just ate until a sharp stab was felt in his throat. Only red came up when he tried to get what was no doubt a hook out from his throat. And in a moment of panic he rushed to the surface, heading for the beach. The warm sand covered his hands as he clawed his way on the beach, blood spilling from his mouth and down the front of his chest, darker than his scales could ever be.

With one last heave Keith made it far enough to where the waves only lapped at the edge of his flukes. And without the salt of the ocean in his throat the pain was easier to manage, even if his whole mouth tasted of metal and the amount of blood was overwhelming. The hook must have lodged deep in his throat, cutting through the soft flesh easily and piercing deeper with each movement.

Keith stood completely still, trying not to panic, claws scraping deeper in the sand as he tried to slow his breathing. Especially since each breath caused his throat to constrict and press into the fishing hook.

Small whines made way past his lips in small, high pitched whimpers, drawing the attention of some humans farther down the beach. He couldn't care less, more focused on the blood turning the sand into a bright red mud and how his breathing became garbled wheezes as blood continued to come up.

He tried to back away as a crowd of humans formed around him, voices loud and jarring as two came closer.

His panic rose as he felt a sharp stab in his side, world turning fuzzy then black.

***

Lance clicked his tongue worriedly, tail swishing from side to side worriedly, Pidge and Hunk in the background watching from a distance, feeling their pod mate's anxiety from where they were.

Pidge was laid on their stomach on one of the large flat rocks that littered around the small cove they called home, making small clicks of irritation and worry. Keith wasn't usually this late to an afternoon nap time cuddle pile ever. And they had just recently found a nice warm place to nap with plenty of sun shine over head and a warm current on the cloudier days.

And if Lance was getting this worked up about it there had to be something wrong. even Hunk was worrying, his spines flicking nervously through the water.

Pidge and Hunk tenses as Lance suddenly went still, the fins on his head fanned outwards, mouth open and gills fluttering as he tasted the waters for scent. Pidge did the same, but couldn't pick up on anything that would cause such a rise from the blue Mer.

Pidge startled at Hunk's loud bark, their attention brought to the spot where Lance was, or at least used to be, the Mer could no longer be seen, blue tail racing out into the sea towards the shoreline.

Pidge was about to go after him when they were stopped by Hunk, a careful hand gripping their shoulder firmly. A few clicks and Pidge reluctantly went with him back to the cave to tell the others of this new development.

***

Keith awoke to a cold white room, air cold and wet, whatever ground he was on inclined on a slope to a pool of sea water on the far side that extended for quite a few yards.

The red Mer's chest rumbled in apprehension, body feeling sluggish and slow, a burning sensation went down his left side and he hissed. Or tried to.

The hiss was low and piercing, like a muffled whistle. And upon further inspection he couldn't make any sound higher than that, his neck covered by something that didn't give under his claws no matter how hard he clawed at it.

Panic set in and the Mer thrashed against the cold hard stone, small, angry hisses escaping from his bound throat, confusion and fear clouding his vision.

He.

Wanted.

It.

Off.

He was thrashing so violently he didn't notice figures enter the room he was currently in, surrounding him in a semi circle and essentially caging him in more than he already was.

Another pinprick of pain bloomed on his shoulder, once again drowning in darkness.


	2. Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorrow and muffled voices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me, updating stuff!

Allura had been relaxing, laying on the cave floor, her arms laid in one of the small pools littered through their near surface home. The tiny fish that swam there were too small to have a proper snack, but they were beautiful to look at. Bright, bioluminescent coloring made the pool water glow in a variety of colors and watching them flit about as her claws tapped the surface of the water was enough to amuse the grand Mer for a time.

Her tail swayed from side to side on the cave floor, so scraping the hard ground lightly as he flukes bumped against Shiro's.

The black and white Mer was napping against her, head pillowed on the middle of her back, scales cool to the touch.

A splash from the water startled both Allura and Shiro, the latter letting out small rumbles of displeasure at being abruptly woken from his nap.

Pidge and Hunk surfaced, alarmed chirps ringing through the small cavern. Allura drew herself up fully as Lance's name was uttered, the worry in their voices enough cause for concern, especially with the way they spoke of Keith as well. She was through the water faster than they could blink, fins flared out to catch Lance's faint scent through the water.

She was led to shore where Lance's scent was strongest, and with it the smell of blood.

Keith's blood.

Oh no.

A few more beats of her tail had her on the sandy shore in no times, dragging herself over the wet sand and lapping waves towards the other mer, who stood in wet sand stained red.

She approached the other cautiously, knowing the tremble in the other wasn't from the coil ocean breeze in the air.

Her bark did nothing to stir him, the blue Mer ignoring his sister's calls.

Allura dragged herself closer, fins pressed down against her head in a non threatening stance. The sharp spines on either side of her clavicle snapped on her skin, creating sharp clicks that drew Lance's attention to her without alarming him too much as to attack her.

He looked devastated and lost, fins flaring out and back down flat erratically, not knowing what at all to do or think about any of this. Claws dug into the bloodied sand, all signs of distress apparent in the younger mer's body language.

With slow movements she dragged herself across the sand until she was right beside him from fluke to shoulder, her fins flattened out against her neck in her show of respect as she pushed her face into the crook of her siblings neck, right against the closed gills as she cooed softly to him.

Sounds of distress were felt through her from him, a sound akin to a heartbroken wail leaving his throat. Her reassurances and soft sounds did nothing to ease his pin. She didn't expect it to, it would be some time before a loss like this would be accepted, let alone heal. Her brother didn't deserve this pain, this burden to bear at so young an age. To her he was still a pup, the same annoying pup that clung to her when they were young and made her laugh at his antics.

She had a feeling she wouldn't get to see that side of him again for a long time.

***

Keith awoke once more, his surrounding dark as night and as cool as the tropical nighttime ocean currents he resided in.

The thing was still around his neck, covering his gills yet still allowing for water to pass over them without any delay. His throat felt raw and sore, the salt in the water all around him not helping to make matters any better, fins flicking out in irritation, claws digging into the too clean sand under him.

Even in the dark he could see clearly, whatever he was in was circular and large in diameter, just enough room for him to swim around. Apart from the sand below him the new tank was barren, just swirls of sand clouding the water as his tail passed over them. His tail whipped from side to side angrily, a dust cloud of sand being stirred up from where it had previously settled moments before.

He didn't like this, he was too far from his pod, too far from home, from Lance. He was sure the other was worried sick, always fussing over him whenever he'd come back later than normal.

A low wail started in his chest, but what came out from his throat was nothing more than silence and small air bubbles, throat feeling itchy after trying.

He was trapped in whatever the humans had decided to put him in, unable to make a sound and missing his pod mates and brother terribly.

The water was still and silent as he settled down to the sandy bottom, head laid against the crook of his scaled arms as he listened. The fins on the sides of his face picking up the garbled, muffled sounds of the humans that lied just on the other side of the dark glass.

***

"He looks sad...and angry at the same time. I thought only you could pull off that look."

"Oh ha ha, very funny Shay." Rax said, checking over the basics of the report that was sent to them when the Mer was first captured and brought in.

Apparently this one was brought in for a fish hook lodged in his throat, and was too aggressive and distressed to keep in the open room they had at the local sea rescue.

"I've never seen a tropical Mer enjoy the dark so much." Shay mused, peering through the one way mirrored glass to view the hostile Mer without stressing it out anymore than it already was.

"That's because he's not a tropical." Rax answered her, closing out of the report before turning to face her and the tank holding their newest patient.

At her puzzled look, he explained himself.

"He's a tropical but more of the cave dwelling variety. That's why his skin is so pale yet his scales are a bright red."

"Wouldn't his scales be darker? Or colorless for that matter?" Shay questioned.

"The caves his type live in are mostly hollowed out holes in the sea floor that cover whole valleys and trenches near the surface, just enough light to develop bright colors but not enough to darken their skin."

"Oh okay, did Mam say how long we keep this one here before being released back."

"Just a month or two depending on how his throat heals up. Now come on, it's time to feed the other Mers, they get antsy when we're late with the food."

Shay followed her brother out of the isolation room, cutting off the lights as she left, sparing one last glance to the red mer's tank before she slid the door shut behind her.


	3. Ravenous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grief and dangerous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how to summary oops.
> 
> I'm really invested in this story jfc.
> 
> More mers will be introduced next chapter!

When Allura had finally convinced Lance to leave the scene of grief the sun was well past low in the sky, a small dusting of stars breaking through the dusk dappled sky above them.

Knowing he wouldn't want to be bothered by the others this time she led him to their own little secret place- not so secret since Keith had found it awhile ago- and let him lay among the sand and seaweed bed that had grown over the fine sands.

She laid down beside him, facing his front and dragging her knuckles across his cheek and fins as gentle as the ocean currents that moved the seaweed waving gently as if it were in the wind.

Lance had been awfully quiet since they left the beach, claws grasping at the sand until they dug into his palm, removing some scales in the process. But besides that he hadn't made a sound.

The muffled swirling sounds of the water around them sounded loud and daunting, when before it was the same sounds that could sooth them both into a dreamless sleep like that of a lullaby.  
It wasn't until she pulled him to her chest that the first soft cries escaped him, barely there shakes that turned to cries of agony as the weight of the situation actually hit him.

Keith was gone.

And he wasn't coming back.

Allura cooed softly, trying to ease the harsh sounds coming from her kin. But nothing she did seemed to help.

She wasn't used to this.

Feeling so helpless.

Dusk turned to the dead of night, a blanket of black so thick Allura could barely see the Mer in her arms, even with the close proximity and her night vision to help.

She knew the others would be worried sick, with the way she swam as quick as she did leaving them. But for now she stayed where she was, resolving to meet with them in the morning and head back before Lance woke up.

She curled her tail around them both, fins and all like when they were smaller, the once wails tapering off to low whimpers that only left the presence of tiny air bubbles behind that escaped towards the surface.

***

Keith awoke later on to the smell of fish that permeated the water, violet eyes opening and zeroing in on a chunk that fell to the sandy bottom. His fins flared out to catch the scent, dragging himself from his own coil of a tail to investigate further.

He sniffed at the chunk of cut meat questionably, poking at it with sharp claws and watching bits of it puck off and float along the small currents he had stirred up when moving from his stationary position.

It didn't smell good, or bad per se. In fact it didn't smell much like anything. And that realization was enough to deter him from even trying.  
With a beat of his tail he swerved to the side away from it, turning around and resuming his earlier position to nap, digging himself into the sand about halfway before curling his tail over him, flukes covering his head similar to how he used to hide from predators as a pup in his earlier years.

***

"Hey Rax, did you feed Red yet?" Shay asked as she stood poking her head into the door way of the isolation room, which was mostly used for mers that didn't adapt well to the open spaces given so they'd be put there for a few days before being introduced to any bigger tanks.

Rax rolled his eyes at the name she'd given the Mer, but nonetheless he answered her.

"I'm trying but he won't eat the fish I put in there, he just sniffed at it and went back to sleeping."

"What do you mean put it in there? Are you giving him chunks?!" Shay said alarmingly, briskly walking to where her brother stood on the platform next to the tank, the sounds of banging metal stirred the Mer in the tank enough for his fins to shake and flicker at the noise.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"Oh my god he came in for a fish hook stuck in his throat, he's not going to be able to eat actual chunks! And are you feeding him salmon?!?!? He doesn't know what that is! He's a tropical he's never seen salmon!" Shay explained, grabbing the bucket of fish and going to the facility kitchen to get something a bit more practical for the Mer to eat.

Rax blew a slow breath through his teeth, shoving his hands in his pockets as he waited for his sister's return.

He wasn't as hands on with the mers like Shay was. He mostly just dealt with the reports and files coming through when any new Mer was brought in from rescue. And on rare occasions he did help move sedated mers to new tanks, but never anything beyond that.

He looked at the specially made canvas thrown over the top of the tank, used to keep out the light and leave some resemblance of privacy for the Mer occupying the tank.

Rax lifted his head as the door to the room opened, Shay walking through with a large bucket and some other object that banged against the sides of it as she moved. A sharp smell and the sounds of sloshing uneased him.

"What's that?" Rax asked, his interest peaked nonetheless.

"A bit of the local fish, a few jellyfish to taste, and some tuna juice to entice, all blended together like a smoothie. Red should be able to get this down without too much trouble."

Rax wrinkled his nose at the smell, backing well enough away to keep his nostrils from burning. How his sister could stomach anything remotely close to this baffled him beyond words.

"I need the tank cover lifted up, just enough to fit him, do you mind?" Shay asked, kneeling down next to the tank as Rax got to work removing it.

The Mer inside barely stirred from his nap, fins flicking at the small rushing sound of the cover being drawn back.  
The isolation room's lights were always dimmed or dark, which was why the Mer in the tank noticed no change in his environment.

Until Shay dipped the end of a large turkey baster in the water, the oils and residue from the pureed fish smoothie floating from the tip into the water.

The Mer instantly perked up from under his flukes, gills fluttering under the protective medical wear and fins flaring to catch the new scent that filled the area, pupils blown wide before forming into slits as they narrowed in on the source of the smell.

The Mer uncoiled himself from his tail, the sand shifting and swirling in the water as he unearthed himself so to speak.

He approached slowly, carefully, his fins however giving away his impatience to get whatever delicious treat he was smelling.

Shay smiled, talking softly to encourage him closer. The Mer approached slowly, watching her as well as the treat she held in her hand, the soft tone relaxing him, though not by much.  
She waited patiently for the mer, who by now was sniffing at it, fins flicking against his head in anticipation.

With a start he bit at it, snatching it from her hands before going back under the water to enjoy his prize.

Shay had been surprised at that, snatching her hand back as the last small currents of water dispersed where the Mer had went under.  
She startled when she realized Rax's hand was on her shoulder, ready to pull her back at a moment's notice.

But nothing happened, the only sounds were of the ripples of the water lapping against the sides of the tank and platform.

Their attention was drawn to the turkey baster that appeared to the left of them, the tool ripped and littered with teeth marks where the Mer had tried to get at any bit of the food left.

Shay made to grab the bucket of food, stopping when she realized something else already had it.

Or in this case someone.

Red was currently head first in the bucket, the sounds of eating echoing through the bucket and into the surrounding room. His facial fin tips were peeking above the bucket line, flicking to and fro as he ate his meal, tail swaying leisurely from side to side after determining that the humans beside him were no more of a threat than the sea urchins he had picked off and eaten at when he was a pup.

"Just...back away...slowly." Rax whispered, Shay nodding her head she allowed her brother to lead her back and away from the Mer.

They were none to be quite aggressive during feeding, especially if you didn't have some sort of control over the situation. And with the Mer that close without them even have knowing for however long, it was the very definition of no control.

They made it to the room floor without any disturbance or hassle, Rax telling his sister to get Mam while he waited for the Mer to finish and recede back into his tank. The sooner he got the cover back over the tank the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even with mers living more or less alongside humans they're still considered highly dangerous, especially those wild born and not held in captivity, which is why they regard Keith with the utmost caution. Especially since he does have the scars to prove he's far from harmless.


	4. Feeding Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's feeding time for the rest of the mers!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very invested in this.
> 
> I love Mers and Mer AU's so much.
> 
> Also, Plaxum.

"Uh, Mam?" Shay asked timidly, two pairs of eyes turning to look at her as she spoke.

"What's the matter Shay, everything okay?" Her Mam asked, smiling warmly at her granddaughter.

"Rax needs your help in the isolation room, it's urgent." She spoke softly, taking a glance over their guest. A girl she guessed about her age with medium brown skin and bright hazel eyes behind thick rimmed glasses. Her natural hair was pulled into a variation of pigtails, held together in segments of hair bands loosely put on.

"Of course dear, and while I'm doing that could you show our new intern here around? She just started today and I think you're the best person for this. Plus you forgot to feed the Galra mers, it's bordering twenty minutes and you know how they get." Mam said, the click of her cane against the ceramic tile floor signaling her departure.

Shay's eyes widened as she was reminded of her chore and she rushed to the kitchen to prepare their meal. She almost forgot about her guest until halfway through preparing her meal she spoke up.

"Did I hear right that you guys actually have Galra mers here?" They asked, bouncing on the heels of her feet excitedly, holding a clipboard to her chest.

"Uh yeah, we have a few, about seven, they've been here for awhile." Shay said, pulling out a wheeled cart holding water from one of the rooms connected to the kitchen. She wheeled it over to a large basin filled with water, a flickering of fins and silver flashing through the otherwise still water.

"Uh, name's Plaxum, you must be Shay." Plaxum asked, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Yeah, nice to meet you Plaxum, interesting name by the way."

"Thanks! My dads' thought it fit well with me, it's like a nickname but not, I mean I have a full name and it's derived from that but I use Plaxum since it's easier for other people and what exactly are you doing?" She asked, not even out of breath from her rambling as Shay rolled up the sleeves of her over shirt and walked over to the basin, making sure the cart of water was nearby.

"The mers I'm going to feed first like their food alive, plus it gets them to actually move around and do something instead of float and sunbathe all day." Shay said, grabbing a few fully grown saltwater groupers and tossing them in the cart with her bare hands. Plaxum was impressed, stepping back as the fish thrashed in the water as they were dropped into the cart, some causing water to spill over the edges and onto the floor in small puddles.

After getting about two dozen Shay finally deemed the amount enough to feed them, pushing the cart out of the kitchen and into the hall, Plaxum following close behind.

"We just came from the kitchens and the actual tanks are just up ahead, we use those for the resident mers, the ones who can't go back. I mean they could, but they wouldn't last long."

"What if they get too stressed?" Plaxum asked, writing down notes as she struggled to keep pace with the other.

"Then we just put them in a bigger tanks and if the stress continues we release them." Shay responded, nodding her head towards a darkened hallway to their right.

"That's where we keep the deep sea mers, we have a few that floated up here and they're kept in pressurized tanks until they're better. A couple have actually been released today, so the rest of the crew should be back in an hour or two. The hall down there to the left is where we keep the isolation rooms to help new mers adjust, usually they're rarely used since we have more open spaces to keep them in, but we had one recently that didn't take to we'll in waking up in a bright room so we had to sedate him."

"What kind of Mer is he?" Plaxum questioned.

"He's a tropical but he's one of the mers from the hollowed valley trenches, so he's paler than most but still has his coloring." Shay answered, stopping the cart and swiping her ID through the door pad before punching in the numbers and leading Plaxum inside to the section of the facility that housed the Galra mers.

Plaxum's face turned concerned when she saw the open tanks, like those used for the whale shows at one of the aquatic themed amusement parks she had gone to when she was a kid.

"Isn't it dangerous to have the tanks open like this? I thought it was required that any Galra mers housed would need to be in closed tanks?" She hugged her clipboard close to her chest, not really too confident in stepping any closer than she was.

Shay was right next to the tank, pulling the cart of live fish close. And at the sounds of splashing from the cart other splashes occurred as well inside of the bigger tank.

"These guys aren't as aggressive as the other ones we keep in the closed tanks, they're about as docile as the captive born ones despite being brought in from the ocean for their injuries. And they seem to like to sunbathe a lot so it's easier to maintain that docility. Besides, my Mam made sure they knew better than to try to hurt any of her family." Shay pressed a button that started to lift her and the cart at level with the platform beside the large tank, drawing the attention whatever was lurking under the surface of the dark water if the ripples were anything to go by.

"How? How did your Grandmother make sure they knew not to try anything I mean?" Plaxum clarified, watching Shay as she wheeled the cart further towards the middle of the platform, nearing the edge of the tank where the water lapped gently at the sides.

"I was a little girl when the Galra first came in, there used to be five or six in the open tank. None of the adults were watching at the time and I got too close to the water and one dragged me in. He didn't much like being put in something smaller than he was used to so I guess he was stressed and feeling aggressive. I would've drowned if one the other Mers didn't intervene. The one that dragged me in lost an arm for his trouble, and Mam made sure he was kept in isolation for a few months before he was transferred to the closed tank with another one that didn't get along with the rest. I don't really know exactly what my Mam did but whenever she goes to the closed tank the one that tried to drown me usually hides before she can see him." Shay explained, kneeling down at the water's edge to tap the surface lightly.

"Um...is that safe?" Plaxum asked, concern evident.

"For me it is, I basically grew up around them so they know me, now with anyone else you just need to remember they're just as smart and perceptive as we are so treat them with respect and give them space when they need it." Shay explained, a rush of dark, purple plated scaling moving under the touch of her hand only to disappear into the deeper water.

"You want to see them up close?" Shay questioned, looking over at Plaxum who was watching the small interaction with rapt interest. She seemed startled by the invitation, but nodded nonetheless, carefully making her way up the stairs as quietly as she could. She stood a few feet behind where the other girl was, content enough to watch from where she was.

A fin emerged from the dark surface, flicking some sea water towards Shay who laughed as she wiped her cheek dry.

"Okay okay!"

She stood up and went towards the cart, going in and lifting out a large grouper before throwing it across half the tank's length. Plaxum jumped when two figures cut through the water, jumping high enough in the air to catch the fish before falling to the water in a chaotic rush of water and lilac purple fins.

Shay continued to throw more fish into the tank, each one instantly rushed in by long plated scales on a snake like body.

"Do they have names?" Plaxum asked, after the last splash sounded and the waves made from them dispersed into calm shudders against the sides of the tank.

"Yeah, there's Antok, Thace, Ulaz, and Kolivan."


	5. Grief and Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sibling stays within company of her grief stricken kin, and a revelation is discovered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be sad when I end this story. But at the same time I'll have a multi chapter fic that's actually finished.

In the weeks after Keith's death Lance had been inconsolable, lashing out and quick tempered, even Allura had kept her distance. The others followed suit, grieving in their own ways.

Pidge went scavenging for long hours at a time, stretching throughout the day longer each time.

Hunk stayed in one of the deeper pools in the cavern, tending to the fish and jellyfish he raised, their presence a calm on his nerves and burdened heart.

Coran busied himself with cleaning the crystals around the cave, the light getting exponentially brighter with each cleaning.

And Shiro mostly stayed by himself in one of the farther pools in the cave, left alone by his will to grieve for his dead blood kin.

Allura more or less stayed the same, her only behavior reacting to the matter affected by her brother, who now hissed and lashed out at her and anyone else if they ever dared get near.

Not that Anyone could blame Lance for his anger, losing a mate was no trifle matter. And it would be sometime until he would be able to heal from something like this, a long arduous process.

Allura swam slowly out to where Lance usually spent his periods of mourning, away from the cove and shoreline. A large ship had sunken a few miles from the shore years ago, creating a solemn, lonely place where small sea creatures made their homes. Sharks swam lazily about, not even bothering with Allura's presence.

They knew better than to mess with her.

The pale pink Mer slipped into the darkness of the ship's interior, the light from the entrance she used slipping through, not completely cutting through the darkness but enough for her eyes to adjust.

Small bits of debris and scattered pieces of seaweed and other plant life floated through the water, still as can be, as if time slowed down itself. The ship's was tilted on its side, so everything was. At an angle, something that didn't prove too much of a problem for the Mer as she beat her tail and propelled herself forwards, fins flaring out against her sides to catch any wayward sounds.

Sand covered the angled bottom of the ship, the fine grains swirling and billowing into clouds as she swam through the halls of the ship.

Small fish scattered as she came near, small schools separating to each their own. Allura's hair swept behind her, like a curtain of silver that reflected the little light that came in from small holes and cracks in the hull.

The water was cooler here and continued as she went deeper, Lance's scent getting stronger the closer she got.

Finally she arrived where Lance had taken refuge from everyone, a small cabin where once a human might have stayed as the ship sailed in all its glory across the very waters that doomed it.

The blue Mer was curled up tight in a corner, long vines of seaweed and kelp gathered and amassed to make a large nest of soft bedding. His tail was stretched out however, and his normally bright blue eyes darkened from recent event were closed in anguish, fins flicking and colors faded from irritation and grief.

Allura approached him cautiously, fanning out her body fins to spread her scent and alert him of her presence.

Lance didn't stir, instead curling his tail around him before his face contorted in discomfort, and Allura's eyes flitted over to his tail, seeing multiple raised lines going down along the whole length of his tail down to his flukes. Some of his scales were both darker and lighter shades of the original, spots of white showing up as well.

Allura swam closer, touching a hand softly towards Lance's head fins, snatching her hand back when he hissed in discomfort. She noticed they looked more ragged and dead than they were before, yet besides the look and obvious pain her kin was in he didn't seemed bothered by their current condition.

She cooed softly to him, letting him know she was there and took up a spot in the opposite corner of the room, watching over him and simultaneously easing her own mind as well.

The water turned dark, night falling and the little light from the moon filtering through what it could. And with that Allura settled for the night, bright blue eyes wide and watching, fins flicking to catch every little sound as night fell.

***

Keith was getting restless, circling his tank at an even albeit nervous pace. His scales itched and his neck hurt, the material of whatever it was covering his neck making his skin itch.

He tried to hiss in anger, just to show his irritation.

Not a sound came out.

He thrashed his tail against the glass, only succeeding in hurting himself and causing a loud bang to echo through the room.

He didn't like this.

He'd been in here for too long.

He wanted out.

His thrashing caught the attention of Plaxum, who was about to leave for the night, her bags gathered and coat put on.

The isolation room.

She hadn't been inside this room yet, and she remembered Shay mentioning that the more anxious mers were kept here before being transferred into the bigger tanks.

However from what she heard this one wasn't yet ready to be transferred over, even after weeks in isolation.

She placed her stuff down beside the door, grabbing her ID and sliding it through the slot. The door pad turned green and the hiss of the door opening allowed her inside.

The large expanse of the room held circular tanks large in diameter, each filled with saltwater and covered with thick, heavy tarps.

One of the tanks however had a working filter, circulating and purifying the water for whatever creature was inside.

With careful steps Plaxum approached, jumping when another loud bang came from the tank in front of her. A flash of a mottled black and red tail flickered before her, vanishing back into the semi dark water as quick as it appeared.

Plaxum looked around for the reports on this Mer, finding the documents in a waterproof casing attached to the platform next to the tank.

With quick movements she grabbed the papers and scanned through them.

Valley mer, male, red, tropical, age approximated at adolescent, not yet adult, nearing the adult stage, brought in for a fish hook lodged in his throat, doesn't do well in new, larger areas, suggest a few days to a week of isolation.

She paged through a few more papers, detailing the surgery underwent to remove the fish hook and the procedure to perform after to ensure stable healing.

A separate folder contained photos of the Mer and his injuries and she thumbed through those slowly.

She almost skipped one, doing a double take as she took a second look at it.

Oh sweet heavens and cryptids below this was not good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm totally adding Plaxum's girlfriend next chapter, try to stop me.


	6. Late Night Impromptu Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revelations of the late night kind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cute girlfriends!!!!
> 
> Look at me, updating stuff.

The sounds of the train rolling by did nothing to stir the figure in the bed from their sleep, a half hearted snort and brush of an arm against a pillow the only movements that registered in response to the noise from outside.

Neon lights spilled through the slits in the closed blinds, bathing the room in a harsh blue glow.

Rain pattered outside, the droplets racing down the window to reach the bottom in record time, thunder sounded out from far away, edging ever closer with each minute that passed.

A cell phone buzzed on the bedside table and with lightning speed it was answered, the once sleeping figure now awake and alert, answering the call listening closely.

"What's up? Uh huh...okay...yeah...alright babe...got it love you! Bye!"

Bed sheets were tossed haphazardly wherever they were thrown, clothes pulled from dresser drawers were thrown on, leaving them in bright pink loose pajama pants and a worn teal shirt. She grabbed her girlfriend's hoodie from where it was thrown on a computer chair and tugged it on, zipping it up before taking what her girlfriend had asked of her plus a few extras just in case.

Slippers were put on and with a flourish of the hand the keys were taken from their respective place on the hallway hook rack to be used right after.

The hum of the engine reassured her and quelled any anxiousness she felt in having to drive in the rain and with a deep breath she backed out of the driveway and onto the road leading to her current destination.

***

Plaxum paced anxiously back and forth in front of the tank, jumping when the Mer in said tank thrashed about like a mad dog.

If what she thought she thought was right, then he should have never been here for more than a day at least. The fact that the staff here had gone this long without noticing troubled her greatly. Weren't people like this supposed to be more observant? More attuned to these creatures of mystery?

Then again the situation she thought was going on was rare, one in a billion really when she did the math. Nothing like this had ever been recorded, or at least she thinks so. She wouldn't know anymore than she already did until her girlfriend arrived.

Her phone buzzed with an incoming call and rushing for its quickly she answered.

She was here.

Perfect.

She all but ran to the front door, swiping her ID card and letting the other person inside.

Florona shook herself of water, taking a towel from the duffel bag she carried and using that to dry off while Plaxum took her carry bag from her to help lighten the load.

Florona followed idly behind, rubbing the towel gently through her hair as she tried to mop off any moisture that had gotten to it.

"So what had you freaking out at about," She glanced at her watch, "One in the morning?" Florona asked, following her girlfriend as she was lead through the vast facility, marveling at the tanks of fish and other assortments of the local fauna in the area.

They soon arrived at the isolation room, tanks bathing the room in a soft blue light thanks to the dim accent lights that ran along the sides of the room on the floor and around the tanks themselves.

"Oh, uh I'm not sure exactly since I'm just going on a theory-"

"Your specialty."

Plaxum side eyed Florona with a look, targeted girl smiling mischievously right back at her, eyes glowing with mirth.

"Anyways, one of the mers that was brought in two weeks ago really isn't supposed to be here I think. He's the one in the tank in front of us" Plaxum said, placing her papers and duffel bag on the floor.

She pulled her laptop from it, getting comfortable on the floor with Florona in tow, leaning comfortably against Plaxum's side, as she eyed the tank in front of her, seeing a barely there shape in the murky darkness.

"Is it injured?" Florona asked softly, pulling her attention away from the tank to grab a bottle of water from the bag to drink.

"Yeah, he came here with a fish hook lodged in his throat, they had to get a special wrap for his neck to keep him from vocalizing so the stitches wouldn't come out too early before they were supposed to dissolve." Plaxum explained, eyes scanning over the information she had pulled up on the computer.

"That...that sounds more than a good enough reason for him to stay here right?" Florona asked, a puzzled look marring her delicate features, the bottle of water barely touching her lips as she was thinking.

"Usually yes, but this mer's one of the Hollowed Valley ones, which are mostly reclusive and solitary, only staying in small pods of up to three with their family. They love being alone usually, don't really much like visitors, therefore this one should be content with his quiet space-"

""But this one's getting antsy and lashing out, like he's homesick?" Florona guessed.

"Exactly, which means he's not used to being alone, at least not for this long anymore. Which means he has something to be homesick about. Which brings me to exhibit B..." Plaxum trailed off, handing Florina a photo that she had grabbed from the mer's folder.

Florona put her bottle of water down and grabbed for her phone, putting it on the flashlight setting so she could see the photo better.

It was of the Mer they were talking about, showing him long after he'd been sedated. the photo was of his head and shoulder, laying on his right side with fresh stitches at the front of his throat so they could safely remove the hook without damaging his gills.

The scales glittered a pretty ruby red in the light, like tiny stars along his neck and gills, stretching like constellations upwards along his face, dark hair wet and matted on his face and forehead, some parts fluffy where it had dried from the air.

"What exactly am I supposed to see here?" She asked, still confused.

"Look at his neck, what do you see?" Plaxum questioned, a knowing smile on her face.

Florona squinted, renewing her search to focus on the mer's neck. Nothing seemed out of place, the scales were scattered about like dust on his gills, and his pale skin seemed normal for the most part, small scars that reached up from his shoulders where he had most likely gotten in a fight and won, or was at least smart enough to bail when it proved a fight he couldn't win. Except...scars from fights like that didn't make pinkish red marks around the gills in a circular pattern like that unless.

"Holy shit he's mated isn't he?" Florona said, eyes wide.

"That's my girl! I knew I liked you for some reason!"

Florona rolled her eyes,pushing the photo into Plaxum's chest in an agitated manner that held no real heat behind it.

"Wow thanks, nice to know you only have me around for my brains." She said sarcastically, smiling when Plaxum laughed.

"You know it babes, now back to the matter at hand. Since he's mated and was brought in locally his one true love is probably somewhere around here either angry as hell he's been taken or angry as hell because he thinks he's dead."

"But either way that doesn't bode well for anyone around no matter what huh?" Florona said.

Plaxum nodded, "I've looked through the local papers and news in the area to see anything about any attacks down at the beach or any sunken ships-"

"Could a Mer actually sink a ship?" Florona asked, leaning over to put her head on Plaxum's shoulder.

"There's only one type I know of that are strong enough to do it singlehandedly, aren't many of them around though, and there's another breed whose spines can cut through metal like it's paper, they're honestly really pretty we should go down and see if we can spot one on a nice day."

"Sounds like a date."

"Perfect! Now back to this, there doesn't seem to be any attacks Mer related, so it might be too early to tell for right now-"

They both startled as a loud thud was heard from the tank, the Mer inside in another one of his fits, except this time red scales fallen loose where churning through the water, flickers of red against a cloud of sand.

"Um...is that supposed to happen?"Florona asked, gripping Plaxum's arm nervously.

"Yeah no I don't think any of that is supposed to happen I need to call Shay."


	7. Memories Can Cause The Heaviest Grief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Planned release of our pretty boy red and tea.
> 
> And reflections of a loved one lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is nearly at its end. I'm both excited and sad at the same time. I'm absolutely in love with this story. But at least when it's finished I'll get to work on other fics like this one.

Keith snarled, thrashing against the glass and sand, bruising his tail and injuring himself worse than he already was.

His once bright red scales fell from his tail in stuck together clumps, separating individually as they fell to the bottom, only to be stirred up again from the rush of currents he had created with his tantrum.

Underneath the fallen scales revealed deeper black scales, much tougher than the first set, a dark sheen of red reflecting off from what little light there was

He wanted out.

He was tired of this.

Being alone.

He wanted to go home.

He wanted Lance.

That thought stilled him, allowing the sand around him to settle and reveal himself to the humans that surrounded his tank without his knowledge.

His fins flickered, now one long tapered point instead of three spines with stretched skin in between.

His tail was darker than night, only the deepest ruby red reflecting off of it, the fins as well that stood at his sides along his tail were a rich blood red, that billowed out and below him like theater curtains on the night of a big show. His flukes were the same as both long lines of fins that stretched from his pelvis to the end of his tail, wide and flowing like rich red wine.

Claws sharper than blades dug into his palms as he settled on the sandy bottom, fins laid flat against his head, tail shifting from side to side eerily, like a snake's.

He could hear the sounds of muffled voices, the humans talking too loud for his taste, too fast.

He was tired and cold.

He wanted to go back to his family.

***

"So what you're saying is, this Mer here has a pod, is mated already, has pretty much molted right in front of us, and is throwing tantrums because of all of this?" Rax said, gesturing to the air around him with a wave.

"To sum it up yes!" Plaxum said, hands crossed at the wrist behind her back as she rocked on the heels of her feet.

"And you called us here at one in the morning because?" Rax trailed off, both siblings looking expectantly at the girl for an answer.

"Because it's imperative we get him back to his pod and mate as soon as possible or his little tantrums could get worse. Honestly I'm surprised he even lasted as long as he did." Plaxum admitted, pushing her glasses back into place where they slid off her nose a bit.

"Okay I get that, what I don't get is who that is and why she's here?" Rax said, pointing a finger towards Florona who sat on the floor next to a portable heater where she was pouring a cup of hot tea straight from the kettle.

She lifted a cup towards Shay, "Would you like some? It's jasmine with a hint of mint and honey."

"Oh thank you!" Shay said, accepting the offer graciously. Rax gave her a look but Shay brushed it off, joining the other girl on the floor to enjoy her tea.

"That's my girlfriend Florona. And now that I think about it I probably shouldn't have let her in for security reasons...fuck."

"Language Plaxum." The other girl said, blowing the steam from her tea before sipping it gingerly.

"All that aside even if we wanted to release Red over here, which we do, me and Rax aren't qualified to sign off his release. Our Mam usually sees to the releases and retrievals. So until then he's pretty much stuck here until the morning." Shay explained, holding her cup of tea towards her brother.

"You need to try this, try it, your purpose in life will be fulfilled." Shay said, eyes shining as she held the cup of tea out to her brother.

Rax passed on it, pushing the cup away from him. Shay didn't seem to mind, more tea for her as she talked with Florona.

They all looked towards the tank as a muffled thump sounded out, the Mer in the tank moving and hitting his tail against the sand, trying to remove any loose scales from his previous skin. A task that would usually be aided by any pod mates or his own mate. But here there wasn't anyone he could get for help so he was troubled to do the task himself.

They had to get him back home, and soon it seemed.

***

Allura stood a ways away from Lance, who was struggling to remove the the scales that still stubbornly stuck to him like a lamprey.

She made

The ship groaned as the sun rose higher in the sky, the warmer waters causing the metal to shift and warp.

His old fins had torn away, replaced with even longer ones that stretched down the length of his tail, made up of multiple curtains of spines filled to the brim with fresh poison. A sharp acidic smell that caused her instincts to scream danger, yet she stayed put. Whether Lance thought so or not he needed her during this time and she refused to be anywhere else. More spines with flowing curtains of blues and whites disguised the poisonous weapons as beautiful displays that played pretty colors in the water and against the walls in the cabin even with the small amount of light.

The fins on his head were harmless, small spines flared out in irritation as he barked out in anger at being unable to get the old, itchy scales from the back of his tail.

He growled, finally giving up and swimming out of the cabin, his sister following a ways behind. He tolerated her presence, if only grateful she was there to watch over him. Unlike how the others would hover over him when something was bothering him Allura understood that space is what would be most appreciated, but letting the other know they were there helped as well.

They had both gone through that enough to know what helped and what was unwanted.

They made it to open water, leaving the ship behind with a few beats of their tails. Lance's flukes and spines glittering in a beautiful array of lights and colors.

Allura followed behind silently, the rush of small currents and swimming fish meeting her ears. Fins flaring out to catch all the sounds of the early morning rush that occurred when the first few rays of sun touched the waters.

A small pod of mers were spotted a ways ahead and Allura fanned out her fins cautiously, on high alert.

Rival pods weren't unheard of, but it was more than likely they were passing through, but Lance had recently molted and lost his mate, and from his scent she could tell his hormones were a little more than just sporadic. His temper would be short and considering how his breed had a bit of a mean streak as they were, and Allura wasn't sure she could stop him if he decided to lash out at complete strangers.

There wasn't any need to worry however, as soon as the rival pod caught wind of their scents they were off before anyone could really react to them. Mers like Allura and Lance were feared all over for their wrath and prowess in a fight. Most cut their losses and just swam the opposite way.

Those were the smart ones.

And apparently these mers had enough of a brain to realize they wouldn't be leaving out of this new territory alive if they continued on.

Apparently they were smart as well.

Lance growled, agitation growing as they swam. His spines twitched in anticipation for a fight, calming down when they neared the shoreline.

The water was much warmer hear in the shallows, Lance's fins and spines alike rising out of the water in soaked arcs of glittering, iridescent blues.

Allura followed close behind, her hair floating to the surface like a plane of arctic ice.

They approached their usual sunning rocks, scaring off some sea gulls in the process. One was too slow however and snatched quickly between the blue mer's teeth, cutting through its neck like paper. Lance dragged himself the rest of the way up in the rock, content with sunning himself as he ate.

Blood ran down his chin and throat as he spat the bird out, picking out feathers from between his teeth.

After his mouth was cleaned he started work on plucking his catch, using razor sharp claws to slice the offending tufts of fluff off the skin like it was nothing. A sharp bark towards Allura told her he didn't want to be bothered, and trusting his word she left. She'd been away too long from the others, they would need to be checked on after so long. Maybe she could get Shiro to go on a hunt with her if he felt up to it.

Lance went back to plucking his catch.

Keith would have enjoyed his prize. He always preferred the taste of these loud, flying things better than the eels he ate back where he lived. But they were so hard to catch it was more of a rare treat than anything. And it was always made his chest erupt into content and happy purrs when Keith's eyes would light up, the fins along his body buzzing as the ones on the sides of his head would flicker in anticipation whenever he brought him one, freshly caught and still warm.

At that thought his hands slowed, eyes staring into nothing.

The sounds of the waves lapping gently at the rocks didn't register with him, neither did the loud angry calls of the gulls aimed at him from above.  
The wind blew gentle as ever, the cloudless sky allowing the sun to shower him in warmth.

He was for the most part dry by now, and yet...somehow there was water running down his face, dropping onto his catch and the rock below him.

He rubbed at his eyes trying desperately to make it stop.

It didn't.

He didn't feel like eating anymore.

 


	8. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little Red's home

Keith didn't really remember what happened, everything was a blur. What he did recall was memories of splashing and his angered snarls, or what he could make of them seeing as how he could barely make a sound. He remembers a pin price in his shoulder, the second or third time that had happened to him and he was getting sick of it.

And then darkness.

What he knew now however, was that the water was uncomfortably warm and he was in a shallow tide pool, water lapping at his face and uncovered gills as the sun warmed his now nearly pitch black scales, a bright blood red sheen where the sun hit.

He struggled to sit up, leaning his weight on one arm while looking around to figure out where exactly he was. He recognized this part of the beach, he was just a few miles from home. Not too far away, he'd probably make it back within a few hours if he hurried.

With that thought in mind Keith pushed himself upwards the full way, dragging himself through the pool and down to the edge of the waves.

He pushed through the incoming waves, getting deep enough in the water to miss any currents that would push him back towards shore.

Even after a few hours of his journey back home he swam sluggishly, the tranquilizer drug still not all the way out of his system and causing him to squint from the bright light as he felt a headache coming on.

Keith fanned out his fins before flattening them against his body, stretching them out a few times to get the blood flowing, the red of his fins getting richer in color as he did so. The warmed fins helped him find the cooler currents in the water, which in turn cooled his body down as a whole to a comfortable temperature.

Keith lowered himself down just above the sandy bottom, swimming leisurely as he neared the familiar sight of the beach. Soft chirps escaped from his throat and he startled at that, reaching up to touch his throat with careful claws, finding the garment that was once around his neck now removed, leaving his gills to flutter freely. Something Keith was more than happy for.

With renewed energy he swam a little faster, the solid beats of his tail carrying him further through the water than it ever had before, his body moving through the water like a snake's.

Violet eyes scanned the area around him, watching for any predators that were foolish enough to come close and for his pod mates who might've been swimming around.

There was no one around.

The water moved with the waves, creating gentle pulses against his body. Small schools of fish swam by him, a few of the larger ones hiding underneath his tail in his fins to hide from bigger predators.

A hammerhead shark swam a bit close to Keith, fin bumping against his tail gently as it swam past, circling around to meet him head on. Keith swam a bit to the left, hands trailing softly against the sides of the beast as it swam past him once more before turning back around to repeat the process.

Keith played with the shark for a few more minutes, swimming to his destination as he did so before the shark got bored and swam away to do what sharks do.

The mottled red Mer neared the beach, headache forgotten after his little playdate with the shark.

A flash of blue caught his eye, the shades familiar and reminded him of home. He swam towards it, seeing a large rock, like the ones he used to sun on with Lance.

His fins flared out, pushing the water towards his gills and letting him taste the scents on the water. Lance's was most prominent, fresh and...acidic was the best way to describe it. He didn't smell wrong per se, just different.

A grin spread on his face as he swam faster, eager to see his mate again after so long.

He made it to the rock in record time, dragging himself up and on it with ease. Before he could do anything he was pinned down, a snarl cutting through the air, sharpened teeth dangerously close to his face. Keith pushed them off, which ended up dragging both mers into the water.

Keith righted himself, a growl bubbling out of his throat before getting caught. Keith was frozen, attention completely on there Mer in front of him.

On Lance in front of him.

If the Mer was pretty before he was downright gorgeous now. Spines of various lengths flared out from his tail in arcs of blues and whites, glittering prettily in the water as the light hit them just right. Creating a backdrop of heavenly rays that made him seem to glow.

Lance had frozen, not all believing what he was seeing.

Who he was seeing.

A sleek black tail with blood red fins, like glowing curtains of rain during a storm. The sunlight only intensified the colors, bringing out the rich red sheen in his dark tail, and the tiny glittering spots of gold that shined in the sun.

Parts of his tail still had old scales clinging to it, left to stay in places unreachable by one Mer alone. But even with the mottled appearance Lance still thought Keith was beautiful.

Neither made a move in that moment, both just content with taking in the sight of the other after so long apart.

Lance made the first move after so long, approaching Keith slowly, carefully. As if he would disappear if he moved any faster.

Keith stayed put, tail swaying below him just enough to keep him afloat, letting Lance approach at his own pace. The smell of fear and a tang of anxiousness touched his gills, causing him to wince when it grew stronger as Lance neared.

He almost flinched when a hand cupped his cheek but held that at bay. A clawed thumb rubbed at the small spattering of scales under his eye, causing a purr to bubble out of his throat when the soft scaled skin rubbed at the sensitive scaled patch on his face.

Keith finally relaxed when Lance held his face in both hands, nuzzling sweetly against the red mer's cheek and laving gentle Mer kisses all over his face, spreading his scent back into the other's skin in the process. Small whines left Lance's throat mixed with choked purrs as Keith's scent; sharper than before yet just as soft as it curled and surrounded him in familiarity.

Keith melted into the attention, paying no mind to the spines and fins that curled towards and around his body, creating a safe cocoon of kisses and warmth that served as a wonderful welcome home.

***

"Holy shit! Holy shit Flo!" Plaxum said, jumping excitedly up and down.

"What? What is it?" Florona asked, clinging to her girlfriend's arm as she tried to see whatever it was Plaxum was seeing through the pair of binoculars she held in her hands.

"You remember lionfish right? The type of fish that our dentist has? The stripey one you named Zebracakes?" She asked.

Florona nodded, "Yeah, I remember! He just had another birthday, the girls there sent me a card and picture. Why?"

"Little Red's little lover boy is one of those kinds! You know the ones I told you about? The spines can tear through metal type?"

"Shit really?"

"Yeah."

"Lucky boy then huh?" Florona questioned, leaning against Plaxum's shoulder.

"Lucky boy indeed." She nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look I finished a thing.
> 
> If anyone has any ideas for what I can do next in this series let me know!


End file.
